NewHydrogen Files First International Patent for ThermoLoop Technology

Joint patent application with UC Santa Barbara strengthens IP position of clean hydrogen production process.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 7:33am

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NewHydrogen, Inc., a developer of clean hydrogen production technology, has jointly filed an international patent application with the University of California, Santa Barbara for its innovative ThermoLoop process that uses water and heat instead of electricity to produce low-cost clean hydrogen. The patent filing includes new material compositions and an AI-driven discovery process to identify optimal materials for the reaction networks.

Why it matters

NewHydrogen's ThermoLoop technology aims to provide a scalable, carbon-free path for hydrogen production that avoids the high costs of electricity-intensive electrolysis. Hydrogen is a critical ingredient for many industries, but current production methods rely on dirty and limited hydrocarbon resources. This patent filing strengthens NewHydrogen's intellectual property position as it moves toward commercialization of its clean hydrogen solution.

The details

The international patent application, filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), covers NewHydrogen's ThermoLoop thermochemical water splitting process along with new material compositions discovered by the UCSB technology team. A key innovation is the use of artificial intelligence and Large Language Models to identify and optimize complex mixed-metal oxides and other regenerable materials that can operate efficiently at temperatures below 1000°C, avoiding the energy-inefficient large temperature swings required by previous methods.

  • NewHydrogen filed the international patent application on March 12, 2026.

The players

NewHydrogen, Inc.

A developer of ThermoLoop, a breakthrough technology that uses water and heat instead of electricity to produce low-cost clean hydrogen.

University of California, Santa Barbara

A public research university that collaborated with NewHydrogen on the patent application for the innovative clean hydrogen production process and associated technology.

Dr. Eric McFarland

The Chief Technology Officer of NewHydrogen and an inventor on the patent application.

Ryan Patrick

The Senior Chemical Engineer at NewHydrogen and an inventor on the patent application.

Steve Hill

The CEO of NewHydrogen.

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What they’re saying

“This international patent filing represents a critical milestone in our mission to produce the world's most cost-effective clean hydrogen.”

— Steve Hill, CEO of NewHydrogen

“By combining advanced material science with AI-driven discovery, we are creating a scalable, carbon-free path for hydrogen production that bypasses the high costs of electricity-intensive electrolysis.”

— Steve Hill, CEO of NewHydrogen

What’s next

The PCT application establishes a filing date in all 158 contracting countries, providing NewHydrogen with a robust foundation to protect its intellectual property as it moves toward commercialization of the ThermoLoop technology.

The takeaway

NewHydrogen's innovative ThermoLoop technology, developed in collaboration with UC Santa Barbara, represents a significant step forward in the quest to produce clean, cost-effective hydrogen at scale, potentially unlocking new possibilities for a wide range of industries that rely on this critical resource.